Rail-chair.



W. H. GOFFMAN. RAIL CHAIR. nrmouxox rum lun. 22. 190e.

927,327.. PandJuly e, 1909.

20g K A,zz/f fw/m mmwew` Ev GRAHAM cu., Pimoimm WILLIAIMI II. COFFMAN, OF BLUEFIELD, WEST VIRGINIA.

RAIL-CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led March 22, 1909.

Patented July G, 1909.

Serial No. 485,037.

To alla/'710m it may concern.'

Be it known that I, W'ILLIAM Il. COFFMAN, citizen of the United States, residing' at Blueifield, county of ll/l'ercer, and State of YVest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Chairs, of which the following' is a speciiication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawme'.

rl'his ini'fention relates to a rail chair and particularly to a structure adapted to be emedded in a railway road bed comprising a body of crushedv stone.

The invention has for an object to pr'ovide a rail chair comyuising a substantially U- shaped angle iron having means for securingn the rail thereto, and also provided with means for preventing movement of the chair .laterally of the rail.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be herein after fully set forth. and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing-Figure l is a perspective showing the chair Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing` the application. of the invention to a road bed; Fig. 3 is a plan of the angle iron; llig'. l is a section on line 4--/l, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detail of the bolt for securing' the rail thereto; Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the application of the chairs to a curved track, and, Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the application thereof to a straight track.

rThe numeral 10 designates the rail chair or sectional tie which extends only beneath one rail and is provided with the depending sides 1l, being substantially inverted U-shaped in conliguration. For the purpose of securing the rail to the upper surface of this chair a clip 12 is secured thereto by means of the bolts and these clips are disposed at opposite sides of the rail to engage its base. Any desired construction of bolt may be used, .but preferably the bolt is formed with an oval portion lll adapted to lit a corresponding aperture I in the top plate of the chair thus preventing` rotation of the bolt as the nut is screwed downward thereon to secure the parts in position. The clips l2 may be secured in any d isired position. upon the upper 'llat surface of the chair l0, and the dependin sides of this chair are embedded in a road bed 16, preferably of compact crushedA stone, as described in my Patent 903,174, dated November 10, 11908. The rail itself also rests upon this compact bed intermediate of the chairs l0. By thus embedding the chair a firm support is secured both at the rail joints and intermediate thereof.

For the purpose of preventing' creeping' of the chair laterally of the rail which would displace the alinement of the latter the chair is provided at one end with an angle plate 17 the 'flange 18 of which rests upon the upper surface of the chair and is secured thereto at 19. This plate abuts against the endV of the chair and also extends laterally beyond the sides thereof and in this position lforms a push plate to resist the outward. movement ol the rail owing to its extended. area and embedment in the road bed. The pushing' pressure applied to the plate brings it in contact with the ends of the angle iron thus iirmly resistingl such pressure and removing1 any strain from the securingl means by which it is attached to the angle iron. The opposite end. of this angle iron may, if desired, be provided with a pull plate i2() which is here shown as embracing' the opposite ilanges of the angle iron and secured thereto at 2l. The pull plate depends below the side of the anglo iron so as to secure an additional hold upon the road bed and resist any tendency of the rails to spread or move toward or from each other. The push and pull plates by their attaclinnent to the angle iron inclose or box the ends thereof so that the material within the iron provides a 'lirm supporting foundation therefor which not only supports the rails in vertical alinement, but also prevents lateral movement thereof through the hold of the plates upon the road bed. y

These chairs may be applied in any desired position upon the rails and in Fig. 6 are shown disposed to resist the outward centrifugal pull or tension upon a curved section of track, while in Fig. 7 they are applied to resist the spreading action oi the rails upon a straight track.

In the operation of the invention it will be seen that this chair obviates the neeessityo'f using' a cross tie which owing to the weight upon the opposite rails is frequently bent or buckled at its central portion so as to throw the rails out of gage and also tilt them from their vertical position. 'lhe use of the independent chairs prevents each rail `from turning` and permits an independent adjustment of either rail without affecting the opposite one as the angle iron may be tamped to level the rail or joint thereof at any desired point. The construction also reduces the material necessary to provide a metallic tie to a very large extent and provides a positive connection with the chair which obviates the use of the spike connection with the tie which frequently works loose and cannot be secured firmly in position. The use of the oval aperture in the chair and corresponding bolt shank provides a desirable means for holding thevbolt against movement when its nut is applied and screwed into position. The means of attaching the end plates to the chair prevent their disconnection therefrom under the tension placed upon the rail as the end movement is firmly resisted by the position of these depending plates relative to the flanges of the angle iron.

While this invention is particularly adapted for application to a compact crushed stone road bed, as described in Patent $303,174, before mentioned, it may be also applied to any other character of road bed, and the chairs are adapted to rest directly upon the road bed to obviate the use of eitherI wooden or metallic cross ties. The invention therefore presents a simple, efficient and economical construction of rail chair, for supporting the rails which may be connected by a tie bar, as shown at 23 in Figs. 6 and 7 and in the before mentioned patent.

IIaving described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rail chair comprising a channel iron having at one end a flange depending below the lateral flanges of said iron and at each end bent at an angle and secured to said fianges, and a depending flange at the opposite end of the channel iron extending in both directions beyond the lateral flanges thereof and secured to the top of said channel iron.

2. A rail chair comprising a channel iron having parallel side flanges, an angular end plate embracing said flanges at one end of the iron and secured thereto and depending below said flanges, an angular plate disposed at the opposite end of the iron with its vertical wall depending below the plate at the opposite end and extendingl in both directions beyond the flanges of the channel iron, and means for securing the horizontal arm of said angular plate to the upper surface of the channel iron.

3. A rail chair comprising a channel iron having depending side flanges and rail securing means upon its upper surface, an angular flange plate embracing the side walls of said iron an d depending beneath the same, and an L-shaped angle plate secured to the upper face of said iron and depending below the plate at the opposite end of the iron and horizontally in both directions beyond the side flanges of said channel iron.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM Il. COFFMAN. l/Vitnesses S. S. COFFUAN, LEwIs Honens. 

